Want a copy for free? I’ve got an extra one that’s looking for a good home. (Even if that home is a bit cluttered and disorganized like mine.)

Inattentiveness is a huge problem for me. I can only play the chicken-or-egg game for so long – does the anxiety make me distractible, or does my distractibility make me anxious? – before I throw my hands up in frustration.

Adrenaline is not my friend. I don’t search for it. And when it finds me accidentally, I usually tell it to shut up.

(Note: this post is part of a series about navigating my way through the 10 Rules for Coping with Panic, which is a nifty little list I keep in my wallet. To read the introduction to this series, check out this post: Coping with Panic: Why I Can’t, and Why I Can.)

It’s been a long time — maybe about a month or so — since I wrote about these rules.

And why?

Truth is, I’ve been doing pretty well. I’ve had a few panic attacks here and there, but nothing I couldn’t get through with a little breather and maybe a phone call to my supportive husband.

And when I’m doing well, I fill my days with thoughts of cooking, walking, reading and writing — not with thoughts of anxiety.

To a degree, that’s a good thing. When I’m feeling well, it feels so darn good to focus on that wellness and completely forget the fact that, a year ago this week, I went on LOA from the full-time job that was a breeding ground for anxiety and panic.

You know me as the blogger who, once, had to run out of a wedding because dancing to Come on Eileen was too much for my panicky little bunny-rabbit heart. So…why in the hell am I feeling fantastic? Why do I suddenly feel like a new person?